Father John A. Hardon, S.J. Archives

Protestantism and Non-Christian Religions

Nonconformists

by Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.

Originally, nonconformity meant refusal to
conform to the doctrines, policy, or discipline of the Established Church
of England. Thus both Catholics and Protestants were nonconformists. They
were variously called recusants, separatists, and dissenters, to emphasize
their failure to agree with the teachings and practice of the Anglican Communion.
At the present time, however, the term is applied only to Protestants in England
and Wales. See Anglicanism.

Origin

The history of nonconformism is practically
the story of the religious struggles that arose periodically in England from
the time of Henry VIII. Henrys Reformation Parliament in 1534 passed the
Act of Supremacy, declaring the King of England the only supreme head on
earth of the Church of England. The Act of Supremacy was at first directed
only at Catholics. Later, however, it affected Presbyterians, Congregationalist,
Methodists, Quakers, and Baptists.

Henrys daughter, Elizabeth I (1558-1603),
tried to obtain conformity from all dissenters. In her Act of Uniformity (1559),
she ordered the use of the Book of Common Prayer by all English subjects.
Those who refused to conform were subject to a heavy fine and six months
imprisonment for the first offense and confiscation of all property and life
imprisonment for disobedience after two convictions. See Uniformity, Acts
Of.

In her Act against Puritans in 1593, Elizabeth
required all subjects to attend Anglican services regularly. Refusal to do
so meant repeated imprisonment and fines until they shall conform and yield
themselves to come to some church . . . and hear divine service according
to Her Majestys laws and statutes aforesaid. See Elizabeth I.

Conflict and Compromise

A century of conflict between Calvinist nonconformists
and the English crown led to the Commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658).
Consistent with his theory of liberation for all Protestants, Cromwell permitted
numerous religious groups to flourish. Baptists and Quakers were protected
and Jews were permitted free entry, but there was no mitigation of the laws
against Catholics. See Cromwell, Oliver.

After Charles II was proclaimed king by Parliament
in 1660, he promised liberty of conscience to all citizens but he quickly
published the Clarendon Code (1661-1665) to achieve religious conformity.
Its main proviso required all officeholders to take the Sacrament of the
Lords Supper, according to the rites of the Church of England.

In 1672, Charles issued a Declaration of Indulgence
to remove disabilities against Catholics and Protestant dissenters. Parliament
reacted by passing the Test Act of 1673, which required that all officials
of the government receive the sacrament in the Anglican Church and repudiate
the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation. See Charles II; Transubstantiation.

Climax and Solution

The climax in the history of nonconformism
was reached under James II, brother of Charles II, whos Declaration of Indulgence
(1688) suspended all penal laws against Catholics and Dissenters. Its crucial
passage declared, it is our royal will and pleasure that from henceforth
the execution of all and all manner of penal laws in matters ecclesiastical,
for not coming to church, or not receiving the Sacrament, or for any other
nonconformity to the religion established be immediately suspended.
See James II.

The revolution which followed brought William
III and Mary II to the throne, at which time the Bill of Rights was passed
(1689). This bill forbade anyone who professed the Catholic faith or who married
a Catholic from becoming king or queen of England. See Bill of Rights,
English.

Protestant nonconformists with Calvinist sympathies
were early guaranteed religious liberty. In 1707, under Queen Anne, the Act
of Union was agreed upon. Presbyterian Scotland and Anglican England were
combined into the United Kingdom of Great Britain. One flag, the Union Jack,
combined the crosses of St. Andrew and St. George to symbolize religious tolerance
and political unity.

Disabilities against Catholic dissenters were
not removed until the last century when the Gladstone government freed the
Irish people from supporting a church of which they were not members. The
law, a result of the Disestablishment Act of 1869, took effect in 1871.

Although nonconformity was English in origin,
its principles now apply to every movement which seeks to free people from
worship and religions profession imposed by civil government. In this sense,
the First Amendment to the American Constitution is the Magna Charta of nonconformism.
Originally designed to protect the citizens from adherence to an established
church, its provisions have become the mainstay of religious liberty in the
United States. See Constitution Of The United States.